


What's Mine is Yours

by conceptstage



Series: Single Chapter Critical Role [89]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 13:51:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20583545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conceptstage/pseuds/conceptstage
Summary: Beau panics and needs a last name that isn't her own.





	What's Mine is Yours

Beau huffed in annoyance and threw herself back to lay her head on Jester’s lap in the back of the cart. “This is bullshit!” she called, closing her eyes. “What’s taking so fucking long?”

Jester giggled and pat her head, leaning over the side of the cart as best she could without jostling Beau too much to look ahead of them. There were seven carts ahead of them, between them and the gate back into the Empire from the Menagerie Coast. “It looks like they’re being super extra careful with checking everybody. Caduceus, can you see?”

Caduceus, in the front seat, squinted his eyes and hummed thoughtfully. He moved forward with the line when it shifted and turned back to smile at her over his shoulder. “I believe they’re taking names.”

Caleb frowned, his brows furrowed cautiously in the middle. “Names? They did not do that last time.”

Fjord was next to Cad in the front seat and leaned forward to prop his elbows on his knees. “Maybe they’re just being more cautious, what with the war heating up.”

Beau hummed and sat back up, leaning over the side of the cart to get a better look. “And what we did couldn’t have helped. They’re probably really concerned about some of their intelligence being leaked now.” They continued moving up the line slowly, getting more and more tense with each yard, until they were next in line.

“We should get out,” Jester said. “Make it easy for them so we can move on super super quick.”

Beau groaned but followed her out the back of the cart, leaning against it with her arms crossed over her chest. Only Caduceus and Fjord stayed on the front seat, gently encouraging the horses along when it came to their turn. Caleb stood in front of her and she saw the same nervous, paranoid tension in his shoulders as she felt in her own. This entire situation felt ominous, like she was waiting for a shoe to drop but she couldn’t see the shoe at all.

The guard looked up from his clipboard and sighed. “Business?”

“Travelling to Zadash,” Fjord said, smiling smoothly. “To visit family.”

He didn’t seem overly interested in their answer or in asking more questions. “Name?” He asked, jotting something down.

Caleb spoke up first. “Caleb Widogast,” he said, crossing his arms nervously over his chest and shifting in his new coat.

The guard didn’t look up at him and gestured for them to continue. “Name.”

Beau was next, it seemed. She cleared her throat. “Beauregard.”

The man paused and finally looked up at her, his expression annoyed. “Last name too.”

When she was asked about it later, she would say that she panicked. If her last name started showing up in government records her parents might be able to figure out her movements and she really didn’t want them to have access to that kind of information about her. But, honestly, the family name had come to her so easily that she didn’t even have time to panic until after.

“Widogast,” she said, wincing. She could feel Caleb’s eyes on her but she didn’t look.

The man nodded and sighed, looking back at his board. “Name,” he asked Jester.

“Jester Widogast!” Jester said, smiling brightly. “We’re all siblings.”

The guard frowned and looked them all over with a raised eyebrow and Fjord blushed slightly, clearing his throat. “Different mothers. I’m Fjord. Fjord W-Widogast.”

“Nott Widogast!” Nott said, hiding slightly behind Jester’s leg and covered once again my her bandages and hood.

“I’m Caduceus Clay,” said Caduceus, looking lost and confused by what was happening but smiling kindly nonetheless.

Caleb curled in tighter on himself and cleared his throat. “He’s a family friend.”

“Sure,” the guard said, caring just enough that he would probably tell the story of the strange and varied Widogast family over drinks tonight but not enough to ask any questions. “Move along.”

“Thank you very much,” Caduceus said, waiting just long enough for the others to all climb back into the back of the cart before moving the horses forward through the gate.

Caleb waited until they were several yards ahead of the gate before getting Beau’s attention. “Some warning would have been appreciated. If he were paying more attention he might have seen the surprised look on my face and not believed you.”

“Shut up,” Beau mumbled, sinking down against the wall of the cart and avoiding his eyes.

“I like it!” Jester said, cheerily. “It’s like we’re a real family! Can we do it again, Caleb? Can we be the Widogast family?”

Caleb gave her a small, somewhat reluctant smile. “I suppose. It is a fake name, I do not have the right to demand that no one else use it.”

“No, man, it’s your fucking name, fake or not,” Beau said, feeling frustrated at herself. “I shouldn’t of- I don’t know. Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine,” Caleb insisted. “You can use it. It would feel like we were a real family.”

Jester cheered and she and Nott grinned widely at each other. “Yay! We’re a family! The Widogasts! We need to get one of those wreaths for our front door at the Xhorhaus that just like a ‘W’ with flowers around it.”

Nott frowned. “No, those are tacky.”

“They’re so cute!”

Beau blocked them out and leaned closer to Caleb, clearing her throat awkwardly as they debated loudly behind them. “Seriously, Caleb… I’m sorry. It just came out. I was put on the spot, I panicked.”

Caleb sighed and shook his head. “You called us a family when you were speaking to Dairon, and you were right. My name is your name, anytime you want it.” Beau still felt a little awkward but also happy as she moved back into her own space, crossing her arms and relaxing back against the side of the cart.


End file.
